| Backyard habitats have increased dramatically
in our state in the last hundred years. Illinois' population more
than tripled from 3.7 million in 1890 to 12.4 million in 2000, and
residential areas now cover 2.5% of our state. Many Illinoisans
live in apartment and condominium complexes, but 55% of our state's
housing units are single-family residences in urban and suburban
settings, rural areas, and small towns. Each of these homes has
at least some yard surrounding it. While many of these individual
backyards are not large, their collective value is quite significant.
Add to that all the properties of schools, religious communities,
government, and business, and the potential benefit to wildlife
is substantial.
One particularly important function of these habitats
is to provide a network of stopovers for migratory birds. During
the fall, hundreds of species of songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds,
raptors, and other birds travel from breeding grounds in the U.S.
and Canada to wintering sites in the southern U.S., Central and
South America, and the Caribbean. In the spring they return north.
Birds need to stop along the way to feed and to rest. Because most
of Illinois' broad expanses of agricultural lands offer little wildlife
habitat for these species, backyards and other small tracts serve
as migratory travel stops. The scattered nature of our rural and
suburban small tracts augments the natural habitat found in the
country. Small open spaces offer plant food, insects, water, and
woody vegetation for perching and cover, all of which fill an important
need.
Collectively, small tracts provide another important
benefit. It may seem that the cottontails and cardinals, squirrels
and toads of our residential areas are just a drop in the bucket
as far as conserving Illinois wildlife. After all, our remaining
natural habitat in rural Illinois harbors the largest numbers of
these species. But in an era when scientists are seriously concerned
about the loss of genetic diversity, hundreds of thousands of backyards
and other tracts combined with larger rural acreages help provide
significant genetic reserves, at least for the more common species.
Wildlife that live in or visit habitats used frequently
by humans do face some difficulties that are less of a problem for
wildlife in natural areas. Knowing about these threats will help
backyard habitat planners avoid or minimize their effects.
- Motor vehicles. To minimize the threats posed by
cars, trucks, and motorcycles, keep habitat improvements other
than tree plantings as far as possible from roads.
- Lawn-care equipment. Lawnmowers, weed trimmers, and
cultivators can pose threats to unsuspecting wildlife. Before
the activity begins, walk over the area to be covered to scare
off animals and check for nests that can be avoided during yardwork.
- Power lines. Exposed wires in and around a building
can threaten wildlife as well as humans. Check to make sure
no exposed wires or uncovered electrical panels are present.
- Dogs and cats. Pet owners have to decide
what they feel is most valuable-free-ranging pets, an abundance
of wildlife, or some combination of both. If you have pets that
frequent the back yard, remember that they are predators. Place
feeders and houses to minimize predation.
- Pesticides. While various pesticides are used on
rural acreages and farms, application is often intensified and
concentrated in and around homes. In fact, statistics show that
landowners apply pesticides to their lawns and gardens at rates
many times higher than farmers apply to their crop fields. This
increased use is caused both by preconceived ideas of what makes
an attractive yard (no dandelions, for example) and by a desire
for a certain level of comfort (such as keeping mosquitoes and
wasps at bay). But many pesticides cause direct and indirect
harm to wildlife. Most threats are indirect-for example, insecticides
reduce the amount of insects, which in turn reduces a critical
food supply for wildlife. Numerous studies, however, have also
documented direct injury and mortality to wildlife from applications
of common yard herbicides and insecticides.
Sometimes homeowners counteract their own efforts
to improve their backyard habitat without realizing it. One example
would be a homeowner who applies insecticides to a vegetable garden
in one corner of the yard, near a butterfly garden created in
another corner. Several butterfly caterpillars feed on common
garden plants, such as tomatoes, parsley, and corn. Many insecticides
used to eliminate garden "pests" are nonselective-they kill all
moth and butterfly caterpillars at the site, along with dozens
of other types of insects, including beneficial predators like
ladybugs and preying mantis. Beauties that would grace the flowers
of the butterfly garden are eliminated before they ever reach
adulthood.
There are numerous alternatives to using chemical
pesticides in lawns and gardens. One of the easiest ways to reduce
large numbers of pests is to increase the variety of plants on
your property. The more varied your plantings, the more varied
the types of insects that will be present. Since different insects
prey on each other, rpore diversity will offer a better local
balance. Lawn "weeds" can be removed by hand or smothered with
a temporary covering. There are also various organic methods to
repel or eliminate insect pests. For more information, check books
on organic gardening or contact a natural-landscaping organization.
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